


Cryptic Nonsense

by gingayellow



Category: Fire Emblem Three Houses
Genre: Canonical character death. Spoilers for the Azure Moon ending, F/F, F/M, Gen, specially for Marianne and Dimitri.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:34:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21974425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingayellow/pseuds/gingayellow
Summary: After King Dimitri passes away, Hilda finds herself comforting Queen Marianne in her grief. [Spoilers for Azure Moon, canonical character death cw, Marianne/Dimitri and Hilda/Marianne]
Relationships: Hilda Valentine Goneril/Marianne von Edmund, Marianne von Edmund/Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd
Comments: 1
Kudos: 37





	Cryptic Nonsense

**Author's Note:**

> Written for hc_bingo, prompt is “restrained.”

Title: Cryptic Nonsense  
Fandom: Fire Emblem Three Houses  
Characters/Pairing: Hilda Valentine Goneril/Marianne von Edmund, Marianne von Edmund/Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine  
Warnings: Canonical character death. Spoilers for the Azure Moon ending, specially for Marianne and Dimitri.  
Notes: Written for hc_bingo, prompt is “restrained.”

Hilda did what any responsible leader should do when the king of her country dies. She assured the people she governed that while the loss of the Savior King was a heartbreaking loss, the kingdom would survive to see many more generations. They had sacrificed too much in the war to give it up so easily. She swore fealty to the king’s successor. She traveled to Almyra and alongside their king, swore mutual friendship and protection from any threats in the years to come. He also promised to help plan the Savior King’s funeral.

Thankfully, the Almyran king was also an old friend and made sure Hilda had two hours to herself so she could stop being the responsible leader and mourn for Dimitri. Because while she hadn’t been as close to him as others, she still had respected what he had become. For the man who unified Fodlan. For the man that made sure house Goneril enjoyed peace. For her old classmate.

It wasn’t fair, she thought fiercely as she wiped the last tears from her eyes. The king had been getting better. And he wasn’t that old. He should have been able to say here, with them, with Marianne—

Goddess, Marianne. Between her old duties and the kingdom’s custom of the surviving spouse going into seclusion after a death, she hadn’t been able to spare more than sad/guilty feelings for the queen and her other friends. But now… now she had done what she needed to do, and could do what she wanted to do.

Hilda immediately asked Claude if she could stay in his castle for a couple more weeks. As she expected, he agreed. She then sent a letter to smartest person she knew, the archbishop, about Marianne. How she was all alone and how she really wanted to help, but had no idea what to do. She then sent the letter and waited for the great advice to follow.

When she got a reply, it took everything Claude had in him to keep her from heading to the monastery to give her former professor “a friendly tap” on the noggin with Freikugel. It was just one sentence: _Do what you think is best._

If she’d known what was best, she would have already done it! Honestly! But she couldn’t just visit Marianne, not with all the kingdom’s traditions, she could be disrespectful, or… or…

Well, Hilda Valentine Goneril had never been known for following traditions, she supposed. And at this point, the kindgom’s soldiers arresting her would be far better than wallowing in guilt in Claude’s guest apartment. So, Hilda hopped on her wyvern and made a bee line for Fhirdiad.

\--

Luckily, none of the soldiers were brave enough to confront Holst’s precious baby sister (because even with all the grey in her hair, that’s what Holst still called her, bless his heart). Dedue was guarding the queen, of course, but he was silent as he let her pass. Hilda did not comment on his tear-streaked face, but she did give him a hug. To her surprise, he hugged her back.

Marianne looked horrible. She was silent as Hilda made and poured the tea. Something that, guessing on the whispers she heard as she had entered the castle, was shocking and a sign of the queen’s grief. Of course, they had only known the articulate, friendly queen of the kingdom. They had never known her as a shy girl so beaten down by the world that it was hard to get her even to smile. Not reserved as some had guessed, but restrained by the horrors she thought that she had inherited.

But Dimitri had known. Hilda as well.

So, she didn’t say anything. Not yet. She knew from experience that one needed to wait for Marianne to feel comfortable enough to speak. Despite her grief, Marianne sipped the tea and ate the cookies, so Hilda felt no need to panic just yet. She just needed to be patient.

“He was right, you know,” Marianne whispered after finishing her tea.

“About what?” Hilda took Marianne’s tea cup, re-filling as casually as she could with the lavender blend.

“I really was lucky.” She smiled at Hilda sadly. “I used to… well, you remember what I was like when we were younger.”

“Yes, and it broke my heart.”

In the past, Marianne would have apologized and maybe even fled to her room. But now, years of diplomacy and marriage and children later, she nodded and accepted that. “But Dimitri… he understood that. He never tried to magically make me better. He protected me, accepted me… and then fell in love with me.” She sobbed, once, and Hilda bolted up so she could stand behind Marianne, patting her back.

“I knew he was dying. He knew he was dying.” Marianne took Hilda’s hand, holding tight as the tears fell. “But it’s still hard.”

There was nothing Hilda could say. All she could do was hold Marianne until she finished crying.

But eventually, the last tear fell, and there was a length of quiet. “Thank you, Hilda,” Marianne said as she gently pulled away. Her face was red and her braids were messy, but she still looked like a queen. “I’m not ready to move on, but I think I can handle the next steps. Dimitri wouldn’t want me to fall apart when our people need us.”

“Of course. And I’ll stay as long as you need me. I’ll do anything you need me to do.” Oh, how her younger self would have been surprised at her words. But time and friendship had taught Hilda that responsibility wasn’t always so scary.

“Oh, thank the Goddess,” Marianne breathed. “There’s so much to do. Dedue and Claude helping me with the funeral and I have full confidence in our eldest daughter’s ability to lead, but—”

“But we can handle that in the morning. I say we call it an early night.”

Marianne smiled, a little. “But I thought you were going to help me with anything I need.”

“I am. But I’m guessing with all this work, you haven’t had much time to sleep.”

Marianne sighed heavily. “It’s been difficult, yes. Not just because of my duties. I’ve slept with Dimitri in arm’s reach for so long… I’m not sure how to sleep alone in a bed anymore.”

Hilda stood up, stretched, and yawned. “Well, guess I have no choice.”

\--

The next morning, Hilda woke up to Marianne held safely in her embrace. “Mornin’, your Majesty,” she whispered lazily.

Marianne shifted, blinked, and smiled. “Good morning, Hilda.” She then kissed Hilda on the cheek. “Thank you. That’s the best sleep I’ve had in weeks.”

“Aw, shucks, I’m blushing!”

“Hm.” Marianne shivered as she stepped out of bed, immediately heading for her robe and slippers. “I can’t spend too much time in bed, however. The archbishop will be today, and we need to—”

“Wait. The archbishop is here?”

“Oh, yes, almost every day. The archbishop has been a huge comfort to me in these times… Hilda, what’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing!” Hilda chirped as she mentally planned out the scolding/thanks she was going to give the archbishop when they breakfasted. Her old professor may have been right once again, but that short letter had just been mean! It would have been better to say that Hilda needed to see Marianne just as much as Marianne needed to see her than some cryptic nonsense.


End file.
